A long-lost Luna comes home

MANILA, Philippines - A painting acquired by a Swiss collector from a gallery in Zurich in the 1960s turned out to be a long-lost Philippine treasure by the country’s greatest artist. The artist’s name: Juan Luna.

The story begins with another recent discovery in the archives of the Frick Museum in New York — a photograph of Juan Luna’s Paris studio taken sometime between 1885 and 1890.  The image clearly shows Luna with a number of his paintings — solid documentation for scholars and collectors regarding the history, provenance and authenticity of a Luna artwork.

Two of the paintings that appear in this photograph had been identified earlier in the Eugenio Lopez Foundation book on the artist: “Hymen O Hymenee” (Roman Wedding), the large painting to the artist’s right and, further to his right, “Héroes Anonimos” (Unknown Heroes), part of which is shown.

The locations of the other paintings were unknown until one of the works — a half portrait version of “Esopo” by the Spanish baroque master Diego Velazquez, which is clearly shown hanging on a wall to the artist’s left — resurfaced late last year.

In December 2013, a painting titled “Esope, d’après Velasquez” and attributed to Juan Luna y Novicio with the inscription: “A mi amigo Rinneas, copia del Esopo de Velasquez por LVNA, Madrid, 1881” (To my friend Rinneas, Aesop after Velasquez by LVNA, Madrid 1881) appeared at an auction in Geneva. It was consigned by a Swiss collector, who acquired it in the Sixties from the Galerie Ruth Maurer in Zurich.

It is the opinion of Salcedo Auctions that the painting that appears in the photograph and the painting discovered in Geneva, which is now in Manila, is one and the same painting, and that “Aesop after Velazquez” is an original, long-lost painting by Juan Luna y Novicio, the first time that a work by the master of this size, sterling provenance, and documentary evidence has ever been offered at auction in the Philippines.

There are three ways to understand Luna’s “Aesop after Velazquez.” The first is to see it as academic work. As a student at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes, it was part of his training to study and emulate the techniques of the old masters — and what better to paint than the work of arguably the most important Western artist to have ever lived.

Luna was on a short trip to Madrid in June 1881 to collect his first major art prize, a silver medal from the National Exposition of Fine Arts for “Muerte de Cleopatra,” a painting that he executed in Rome where he was based together his mentor Alejo Vera. It is highly likely that “Aesop after Velazquez” was painted during this visit.

It is against the backdrop of Luna’s victory at the 1881 Exposition — one that was achieved against tremendous odds, the artist having been the object of racial ridicule and bias in Madrid — that his “Aesop” takes on deeper meaning.

Here, we see the indio artist not only raising himself to the level of Velazquez, but much like Velazquez inserting himself into the paintings of the Spanish royal court, Luna proclaims to the world his stature as equal to that of his colonial masters by appropriating the work of Velazquez.

The third way to appreciate this work is perhaps the most poignant. Aesop was described in ancient text as a dark and ugly slave who gained his freedom through his cleverness, eventually becoming an adviser to kings. Luna would have been very familiar with the story of this “hero of the oppressed.” Santiago Albano Pilar in his book described Luna as being “poignant of look, as if from a familiarity with suffering and humiliation…[with] nostrils flared and slightly spread…lips thick.” Could this painting then be Luna looking knowingly at his swarthy countenance reflected back in the mirror?

As Aesop in all his wisdom personified, this painting can be seen as a self- portrait of the artist as Filipino.

* * *

“Aesop after Velazquez” by Juan Luna y Novicio will be on view at the Proscenium Lounge, Kirov Model Unit, Rockwell, starting today until Sept. 19, prior to being offered at Salcedo Auctions’ “Important Philippine Art: The Evening Sale” on Sept. 20, Saturday, 6 p.m., at the Rockwell Tent as part of “The Well-Appointed Life: An Auction Weekend” presented by Salcedo Auctions with Philippine Tatler as co-presentor, and major partners Jaguar and Rockwell Land. 

For inquiries, email info@salcedoauctions.com. or call 0917-5912191.